Engine starter



July 6, 1943.

w. 1.. GQRDEN ENGINE STARTER Filed July 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H's. Z

INVENTUR BY WX ZZ/ ATTURN EY July 6, 1943- w. L. GORDEN ENGINE STARTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7. 1941 INVENTEIR BY W Xw z ATTURNEY of the crank shaft. When this Patented July 6, 1943 7 2,323,535 ENGINE STARTER Walter L.

Gordon, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Mall Tool Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 7, 1941, Serial No. 401,339

8 Claims.

My invention relates to engine starting mechanisms for imparting rotative motion to a shaft, such as the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine.

The general object of my invention is to eliminate some of the undesirable features of engine starters already on the market.

In an engine starting device of the type which employs the use of a rewind spring to reverse the rotation of the engine starter shaft, difficulty has been encountered in maintaining the crank shaft engaging portion of the engine starter out of engagement with the crank shaft during reverse rotation of the starter shaft. One object of my invention is to overcome this difiiculty.

Another difliculty encountered in the spring rewind type of starter is to maintain the crank shaft engaging portion of the engine starter out of engagement with the crank shaft while the engine is running thereby eliminating unnecessary noise and wear on parts. The importance, however, of overcoming this particular difiiculty is emphasized when the engine is turned off. Frequently when an engine is turned off and the crank shaft approaches a standstill, the engine backfires and causes an abrupt reverse rotation occurs, it is essential that the crank shaft engaging portion of the engine starter be in a disengaged position relative to the crank shaft so as to prevent destruction of mechanical parts. Another object of my invention is to overcome this diificulty.

A further object of my invention is to provide an engine starter which is a complete unit in itself and may be detached from the engin if desired.

Another object is to eliminate the necessity of accurate balancing and aligning of parts such as is necessary in most starters now on the market.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary starter pulley which can be used to start the engine if the engine starter is removed and which can also be used as a belt takeoff for running an auxiliary attachment.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon examination of the following specification and upon examination of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of my engine starting device;

Fig. 2 is a Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form'of my invention taken on the same plane as Fig. 2;

plan view taken on line 2-2 of line 6-6 of Fig. 5 but in the same plane as Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the leaf spring as shown in Fig. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention a s arter assembly B and an engine shaft C.

T e casing A is preferably rigidly but removably secured to the main engine housing by means of screws extending through the annular shoulder 2 and threaded into the engine housing (not shown). The casing A is provided interiorly with an annular rib 3 which forms a container for the rewind spring 4. The rewind spring 4 which is similar to a clock spring is conventional in engine starters and comprises a spirally wound spring fastened at one end to the rib 3 and at its other end to a rotatable collar 5. A thin metal disc 6 forms a cover for sealing the spring 4 within the container defined by the annular rib 3. A rope starting pulley l is mounted on the diametrically reduced extension of collar 5 and -a nut 8 securely holds the pulley against the annular shoulder 9 on collar 5.

The pulley 1 may be key-ed to the collar 5 so as 5 will be free to rotate on the sleeve Ill when head I3 is tightened against the shaft extends H can then be used to start the engine or it can be used as a belt takeoff for running an auxiliary attachment. The mechanism which establishes engagement between the starting mechanism and the engine shaft or crank shaft C consists of a ratchet wheel l9 secured concentrically to the auxiliary pulley H by screws 20 and a' pawl 2| secured to pulley 1 so as to be rotatable therewith. The pawl 2| has a single tooth 22 which may engage any of the teeth on ratchet wheel IS. The pawl is pivotally mounted on pulley 1 by means of pivot pin 23. The pulley 1 is provided with a lug portion 24 as best shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 for accommodating pivot pin 23. A leaf spring 25 is secured to the upper end of the pawl lever 2| and is biased against the face of an annular shoulder or flange 26 in the casing A. A lug 33 secured to the face of pulley 1 acts as a stop to limit movement of pawl 2| about its pivot pin 23.

I have also provided a spring mechanism consisting of a compression spring 21 received in a bore 28 in a side face of pawl lever 2|. A lug 29 secured to the face of pulley 1 has a bore 30 receiving the other end of the compression spring 21. Said spring 21 urges the pawl lever 2| in counter-clockwise direction about pivot pin 23 as viewed in Fig. 2.

Method of operation In starting an engine with the device of my invention as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and '1 one has only to grasp the handle l and exert a manual pull in a direction away from the casing A.

This causes the pulley rope to unwind and the pulley 1 to turn in engine starting direction. The moment the pulley 1 starts to rotate in engine starting direction (counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2), the frictional resistance set up as a result of the spring 25 being biased against the face of shoulder 26 causes the pawl lever to rotate in clock-wise direction about its pivot pin 23. The tooth 22 engages one of the teeth on ratchet wheel I! and the continued rotation of the pulley 1 causes the engine shaft to be turned, thereby starting the engine. When the engine starts, the R. P. M. of the engine shaft exceeds the R. P. M. of the pulley 1 and the ratchet wheel consequently overruns the pawl and kicks the pawl tooth 22 out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Likewise the moment the engine starts running the operator releases the manual pulling of the starter rope H and the spring 4 causes the starter rope to be recoiled on the pulley 1. It is to be understood that when the starter rope is manually pulled so as to unwind and cause pulley 1 to rotate in engine starting direction, the spring I is simultaneously caused to coil up under tension and when the manual pulling of starter rope II is released, the spring 4 unwinds thereby reversing the rotation of pulley 1. The moment pulley 1 begins to reverse its direction of rotation the frictional resistance set up as a result of spring 25 being biased against the face of shoulder 26 causes the pawl lever to rotate in counter-clockwise direction about its pivot pin 23 until it engages the lug 33.

The frictional resistance set up between spring 25 and shoulder 26 is always present and it maintains the pawl lever in its retracted position against the lug 33 all during the time the engine is running and when the engine stops running and a "backfire occurs causing a reversal of rotation of the engine shaft, there is no damage done to pawl 2| because it is maintained in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 5.

In order to positively assure that the pawl lever 2| will be maintained in the retracted position as shown in Fig. 5 during the time the engine is running, I have provided the spring 21, heretofore described. The spring 21 is normally under compression at all times, even when the eliminate side "play of the pawl lever.

pawl lever is in its retracted position as shown in Fig. 5, and the function of the spring is to maintain the pawl lever in its retracted position during the time the engine is running.

It can be seen however, that the spring 21 is not essential but is merely auxiliary to the spring 25. The spring 25 also serves the function of maintaining the pawl lever 2| in retracted position during the time the engine is running. It is to be understood that the tension exerted by spring 21 i only slight and does not interfere with the functioning of spring 25 in causing engagement and disengagement of pawl 2| with ratchet wheel I9. The frictional resistance set up between spring 25 and shoulder 26 is sufficient to overcome the tension of spring 21.

It is to be noted that the periphery 3| at the outer end of spring 25 defines an are which is generated from the axis of the pivot pin 23 thereby assuring that the periphery of said spring cannot bind or jam against the interior wall 32 of casing A when the pawl lever is rotated about pivot 23. It is also to be noted that the stop lug 33 serves to prevent the pawl lever from rotating too far in counter-clockwise direction thereby assuring that the outer end of spring 25 cannot slide off of shoulder 26.

Beneath the head of bolt 23 I have provided a washer 35 which is of sufficient diameter to provide a substantial bearing surface for the side wall of pawl lever 2|. Also the lug portion 24 on pulley 1 provides a substantial bearing surface for the opposite side wall of pawl lever 2|. The reason for providing considerable bearing surface for the side walls of pawl lever 2| is to It can be seen that if the pawl lever had any side play, the frictional resistance or amount of bias set up between spring 25 and shoulder 26 could not be controlled satisfactorily. To further assist in the elimination of side play of the pawl lever, I have provided said pawl lever with a bearing shaft 6| extending through a bore in the lug portion 24 of pulley 1. By controlling this side play the tendency of the pawl lever to bind when rotating about pivot pin 23 is eliminated.

In the modified form of my invention as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a floating ring 31 mounted in an annular channel 38 in the interior wall of casing A. The ring is assembled into the channel by squeezing the free ends 40 together and reducing the diameter of the ring so that it may be forced into the annular channel. Approximately diametrically opposite the free ends 40 of ring 31 I haveformed a loop portion 4| in the ring which is slidably received in a recess 42 shaped correspondingly to the shape of the loop. The recess 42 is in the upper end of the pawl lever 2|a. The ring 31 is rather loosely mounted in channel 38 so that some frictional resistance is set up when the ring is rotated within the channel. The pawl lever 2|a is actuated into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel |9a in the same manner as heretofore described with respect to Figs. 1, 2 and 7, with the ring 31 serving to set up the necessary frictional resistance within channel 33 for oscillating the pawl lever about its pivot 23a. The stop lug 33a limits retractive movement of the pawl lever to prevent the loop portion 4| from becoming disengaged from the recess 42.

In the modified form of my invention as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown another type of "flating ring which is loosely mounted in the channel 52 which channel is formed between an annular shoulder 53 in casing A and an annular disc 54. The ring 5| is slotted transversely at 55. The pawl lever 2lb has a proiecting tooth 55 which extends into the slot 55. The tooth has a sloppy fit in the slot in order to prevent it from binding within the slot when the pawl lever 2!!) is oscillated about its pivot. Stop lug 33b limits retractive movement of the pawl lever. The pawl lever is oscillated into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of the frictional resistance set up when the ring 5! is rotated within the channel 52.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An engine starting device comprising a stationary casing, a rotatable member, an engine shaft, an engine shaft engaging element pivotally connected to the rotatable member and rotatable therewith, said element being adapted to establish engagement with the engine shaft upon rotation of the rotatable member in engine starting direction, means associated with said element whereby upon reversing the rotation of said rotatable member, the element releases from engagement with the engine shaft, said means comprising an annular ring loosely mounted and rotatable relative to the stationary casing and having slight frictional engagement with the stationary casing, said element having engagement with the ring and being actuated thereby about its pivot.

2. An engine starting device comprising a stationary member, a rotatable member, an engine shaft, an engine shaft engaging element pivotally connected to the rotatable member and rotatable therewith, said element being adapted to establish engagement with the engine shaft upon rotation of the rotatable member in engine starting direction, means associated with said element whereby upon reversing the rotation of said rotatable member, the element releases from engagement with the engine shaft, said means comprising an annular ring having frictional engagement with the stationary member but being rotatable relative thereto, said ring having a projection adapted to engage an opening in the element whereby to actuate the element about its pivot.

3. An engine starting device comprising a stationary member, a rotatable member, an engine shaft, an engine shaft engaging element pivotally connected to the rotatable member and rotatable therewith, said element being adapted to establish engagement with the engine shaft upon rotation of the rotatable member in engine starting direction, means associated with said element whereby upon reversing the rotation of said rotatable member, the element releases from engagement with the engine shaft, said means comprising an annular ring having frictional engagement with the stationary memher but being rotatable relative thereto, said ring having a recess in its periphery adapted to receive one end of said element, whereby to actuate the element about its pivot.

4. An engine starting device comprising an engine shaft, a stationary casing, a rotatable pulverse direction, a ratchet wheel secured to the engine shaft, a pawl pivotally connected to the pulley for engaging the ratchet wheel, whereby rotation of the engine shaft in engine starting direction is effected, means connected to the pawl for maintaining the pawl in a position of disengagement relative to the ratchet wheel when the engine starts, said means comprising an annular ring loosely mounted and rotatable relative to the stationary casing and having operative connection with one end of the pawl, said ring also having slight frictional engagement with the stationary casing.

5. In an engine starting device including a stationary member and a rotatable member for imparting rotation to an engine shaft, means associated with the rotatable member for engaging the engine shaft, and an annular ring associated with said means for effecting engagement and disengagement of said means with the engine shaft, said annular ring being loosely mounted in an annular channel in said stationary member and having slight frictional engagement with the walls of said channel.

6. In an engine starting device including a stationary casing and a rotatable member for imparting rotation to an engine shaft, means associated with the rotatable member for engaging the engine shaft, and a ring-like member associated with said means for efiecting engagement and disengagement of said means with the engine shaft, said ring-like member being loosely mounted and rotatable relative to the casing, whereby said ring-like member has slight frictional engagement with the casing.

7. In an engine starting device including a stationary member and a rotatable member for imparting rotation to an engine shaft, an element associated with the rotatable member for engaging the engine shaft, a ring-like member, a looped projection on said ring-like member, said projection slidably engaging said element for effecting engagement and disengagement of said element with the engine shaft, said ring-like member terminating in two free ends whereby to permit compressibility of said ring-like member, said ring-like member being movable relative to the stationary member and having sliding frictional engagement with said stationary member.

8. In an engine starting device including a stationary member and a rotatable member for imparting rotation to an engine shaft, an element associated with the rotatable member for engaging the engine shaft, a ring-like member, a looped projection on said ring-like member, said projection slidably engaging said element for effecting engagement and disengagement of said element with the engine shaft, an annular face'on said stationary member, a retaining member secured to the stationary member and spaced from the annular face, said ring-like member beingloosely mounted between the annular face and the retaining member and having sliding frictional engagement with said face and retaining member.

W. L. GORDEN. 

